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Mary Fisher wrote:
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there really arent better packing options for bulky items, thats why
its used. Maybe you know of one...

No, but it's not necessary to get the item home from the store.

no, its necessary to get it from factory to store.

I've seen moulded cardboard fibre doing the same thing very effectively -
and it can be recycled. But my point was that the plastic could be removed
at the checkout desk and left in the store. If enough people do that some
other solution will be found.

Packaging is a tough nut to crack. Folk often clamour for less, but in
most cases that would only lead to more waste from damaged goods. Silly
packaging seems to be the exception these days, though certainly it was
more common once.

I think the airbags are a real move forward. Maybe we need to develop
expanded straw packing!

I agree. It's very successful. Airbags and extremely good too - but they're
used in unnecessary applications.

For instance, if you order a small book from Amazon it comes in a box which
is too big for the book. It could be made even bigger using clever built-in
folds. The same box will be used for very large books. The space surrounding
your small book will be filled with airbags.

I know, having worked in packaging, that it's done so that the minimum
number of box sizes have to be bought and stored. It's also so that the
monkeys who do they packing don't have to make intelligent decisions, such
as "which size of box shall I use?".

Viking Direct have a better system, their goods are strapped down into the
box, no extra packaging is needed.

There must be many other protective packing systems, all it needs is some
consideration for the planet and the future. Moulded expanded polystyrene is
NOT essential.

Mary


NT